Digital book sales rose in the United Kingdom by 366% in 2011 which contributed to a noticeable decline in print. eBooks now account for 6% of the entire book industry and garnered £92 million in overall sales.
Total consumer digital sales (including consumer ebooks, downloads and audiobooks) showed the most rapid growth, having increased by 318% since 2009 from £4m to £16m. Consumer digital sales of ebooks and downloads increased from 2% to 11% of all digital sales from 2009 to 2010. Combined digital sales have increased by 38% on 2009 figures. Academic and professional books amounted to 72% of all digital sales, which is a staggering figure. Academic and professional publishing digital sales have doubled in the past 3 years.
This new data on eBook sales derive from the Publishers Association Yearbook 2011. Over 250 companies contributed their sales and financial figures and their combined sales account for 70% of all sales in the UK market.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
